Perfume Pagoda Festival

Perfume Pagoda Festival is the largest and longest festival in the North, taking place every year at the Huong Pagoda relic site, My Duc, Hanoi. The festival begins on January 6 and lasts until the end of the third lunar month. Tourists make pilgrimages to pray for peace, worship and admire the beautiful natural scenery with spots such as Huong Tich cave and Thien Tru pagoda.  Organizing time Time: Lasts from January 6 to the end of the third lunar month every year. Peak time: Attracts the most tourists from the full moon of January to the full moon of February of the lunar calendar.  Location Location: Perfume Pagoda relic site, Huong Son commune, My Duc district, Hanoi. Area: Is a complex including many pagodas, temples, and caves, notably Huong Tich cave and Thien Tru pagoda.  Origin and meaning Origin: Associated with folk beliefs of Mother Goddess worship and the legend of Princess Dieu Thien practicing at Huong Son. Meaning: It is an opportunity to express respect to Buddha and pray for a peaceful and lucky new year. It is the connection between humans and nature, expressing the desire for national harmony and solidarity. It is a combination of Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist religious values.  Featured activities Ceremony: Prayer rituals and incense offerings at sacred shrines. Festival: Tourists take a boat on Yen stream to admire the majestic natural scenery. 

Perfume Pagoda Festival is one of the festivals in Vietnam, held at the Perfume Pagoda (or Huong Son) scenic area located in Huong Son commune, My Duc district, Hanoi. The Huong Pagoda Scenic Area is a cultural and religious complex consisting of dozens of temples worshiping Buddha, several temples worshiping gods, communal houses, and agricultural beliefs. The center of the cluster of temples and pagodas in this region is the Perfume Pagoda located in the Huong Tich Cave also known as the Inner Pagoda. This is a major festival held every year, attracting a large number of Buddhists across the country to participate in pilgrimage.

The Perfume Pagoda Festival is associated with the folk belief of worshiping the Lord Ba: According to folk legend, in the past, Princess Dieu Thien (customarily known as the Lord Ba reincarnation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara) went to the Huong Son mountains to practice for 9 years and then attained enlightenment and became Buddha to save sentient beings (that day was called Buddha's birthday on the 19th day of the second lunar month). This is also the middle of spring so hundreds of flowers bloom, the grass is green, and the air is cool.

In the third month of the year Canh Dan (1770), Lord Tinh Do Vuong Trinh Sam toured Tran Son Nam with his officials. The Lord's family entered Huong Tich cave to burn incense to admire the scenery and put on the cliff of the cave entrance the five words "Nam Thien De Nhat Dong". Huong Tich Cave is already a sacred place, and it is praised by God as "Nam Thien De Nhat Dong", so it is even more favorable to people's hearts. Because Huong Tich Cave worships Avalokiteshvara Buddha, it is the spiritual support of the people to pray for peace and all good things.